The Weekly 10: October 19, 2023 Edition

55%

The percentage of teens who named Amazon as their favorite e-commerce site, according to Piper Sandler’s fall 2023 Taking Stock with Teens Survey . Trailing Amazon, in second through fifth place, are Shein, Nike, GOAT and Temu.

$950 million?

The amount that Canadian toys- and games-maker Spin Master Corp. — best known for the Rubik’s Cube — has agreed to pay to acquire U.S. toymaker Melissa & Doug, according to a statement from Spin Master .

$235 million?

The amount that CPG company Post Holdings announced it will pay to acquire Perfection Pet Foods, a leading manufacturer of private-label pet foods and treats.

1?

The spot that Whole Foods Market took in the U.S. ranking of Siegel & Gale’s latest World’s Simplest Brands survey , which ranks brands based on consumer sentiment on clarity, transparency and effectiveness. (Among all brands globally, German discount retailer Lidl is No. 1.) The majority of survey respondents said they are both willing to pay more for simpler experiences (64%) and more likely to recommend those that deliver such experiences (78%).

32%?

The jump in nonalcoholic beer sales in the U.S. between September 2022 and September 2023, for a total of $477 million, according to data from NielsenIQ, per The Wall Street Journal .

$1 million

The grand prize being offered by home security company Ring to a U.S. resident who captures unaltered “scientific evidence of a real extraterrestrial lifeform” on their Ring device, per a company statement . Ring footage submitted now through Nov. 3 will be reviewed by a space and extraterrestrial expert to determine if it meets the necessary scientific criteria.

150+ million

The number of items Amazon shoppers purchased from third-party sellers during the online retailer’s two-day October Prime Big Deal Days event, per a company statement .

48%

The percentage of Gen Z shoppers who say they will buy at least some gifts via social media this holiday season, according to the Shopify-Gallup Holiday Shopping Pulse , which surveyed U.S. consumers on how, when and where they plan to shop this holiday season. Only one-third of U.S. holiday shoppers of all ages said the same.

$69 billion

The amount that Xbox owner Microsoft is paying acquire video game publisher Activision Blizzard, Business Insider reports . With the acquisition, Xbox welcomes notable titles such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch and Candy Crush Saga.

$92.8 million?

The opening weekend ticket sales tally for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert film, per CNBC . While it fell short of analysts’ $100 million consensus projection, the film still posted the second-highest domestic box office opening ever for an October release.

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